News

Legislature during COVID-19. PC: Hawai’i Senate Majority

The Hawaiʻi State Senate today announced its 2021 leadership and committee assignments ahead of the Thirty-First Legislature that opens on Jan. 20, 2021.

Maui Senator J. Kalani English maintains his role as Senate Majority Leader and takes on a vice chair role for the Public Safety, Intergovernmental and Military Affairs Committee. Fellow Maui Senator Gil Keith-Agaran will Vice Chair the Water and Land Committee and the powerful Ways and Means Committee.  Senator Roz Baker of Maui chairs the Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee and will vice chair the Committee on Health.

“With the election now over, it is important to quickly organize members of the Senate so that we can begin the important work of preparing for the upcoming legislative session,” said Senate Majority Leader J. Kalani English. “We are confident that these new committee assignments are reflective of our practice of making the best use of our members’ skills and experiences.”

Leadership and members in the sixteen standing committees are:

Leadership

• President:                                           Senator Ronald D. Kouchi
• Vice President:                                   Senator Michelle N. Kidani
• Majority Leader:                                Senator J. Kalani English
• Majority Caucus Leader:                   Senator Dru Mamo Kanuha
• Majority Policy Leader:                     Senator Les Ihara, Jr.
• Minority Leader/Floor Leader:          Senator Kurt Fevella

Committee Assignments

Agriculture and Environment (AEN)

• Gabbard, Mike (Chair)
• Nishihara, Clarence (Vice Chair)
• Kahele, Kaialiʻi **
• Rhoads, Karl
• Fevella, Kurt

Commerce and Consumer Protection (CPN)

• Baker, Rosalyn H. (Chair)
• Chang, Stanley (Vice Chair)
• Misalucha, Bennette
• Nishihara, Clarence
• Riviere, Gil
• San Buenaventura, Joy
• Fevella, Kurt

Education (EDU)

• Kidani, Michelle N. (Chair)
• Kim, Donna Mercado (Vice Chair)
• Dela Cruz, Donovan
• Kanuha, Dru Mamo
• Fevella, Kurt

Energy, Economic Development, and Tourism (EET)

• Wakai, Glenn (Chair)
• Misalucha, Bennette (Vice Chair)
• Lee, Chris
• Riviere, Gil
• Fevella, Kurt

Government Operations (GVO)

• Moriwaki, Sharon Y. (Chair)
• Taniguchi, Brian T. (Vice Chair)
• Chang, Stanley
• Gabbard, Mike
• Fevella, Kurt

Hawaiian Affairs (HWN)

• Shimabukuro, Maile S. L. (Chair)
• Kahele, Kaialiʻi ** (Vice Chair)
• Ihara, Jr., Les
• Keohokalole, Jarrett
• Fevella, Kurt

Health (HTH)

• Keohokalole, Jarrett (Chair)
• Baker, Rosalyn (Vice Chair)
• Moriwaki, Sharon Y.
• San Buenaventura, Joy
• Fevella, Kurt

Housing (HOU)

• Chang, Stanley (Chair)
• Kanuha, Dru Mamo (Vice Chair)
• Moriwaki, Sharon Y.
• Rhoads, Karl
• Fevella, Kurt

Higher Education (HRE)

• Kim, Donna Mercado (Chair)
• Kidani, Michelle N. (Vice Chair)
• Keith-Agaran, Gilbert S. C.
• Wakai, Glenn
• Fevella, Kurt

Human Services (HMS)

• San Buenaventura, Joy (Chair)
• Ihara, Jr., Les (Vice Chair)
• Kahele, Kaialiʻi **
• Misalucha, Bennette
• Fevella, Kurt

Judiciary (JDC)

• Rhoads, Karl (Chair)
• Keohokalole, Jarrett (Vice Chair)
• Gabbard, Mike
• Kahele, Kaialiʻi **
• Kim, Donna Mercado
• Lee, Chris
• Fevella, Kurt

Labor, Culture and Arts (LCA)

• Taniguchi, Brian T. (Chair)
• Ihara, Jr., Les (Vice Chair)
• Chang, Stanley
• Keohokalole, Jarrett
• Fevella, Kurt

Public Safety, Intergovernmental and Military Affairs (PSM)

• Nishihara, Clarence K. (Chair)
• English, J. Kalani (Vice Chair)
• Baker, Rosalyn H.
• Riviere, Gil
• Fevella, Kurt

Transportation (TRS)

• Lee, Chris (Chair)
• Inouye, Lorraine R. (Vice Chair)
• English, J. Kalani
• Shimabukuro, Maile S. L.
• Fevella, Kurt

Water and Land (WTL)

• Inouye, Lorraine R. (Chair)
• Keith-Agaran, Gilbert S.C. (Vice Chair)
• Misalucha, Bennette
• Riviere, Gil
• Fevella, Kurt

Ways and Means (WAM)

• Dela Cruz, Donovan M. (Chair)
• Keith-Agaran, Gilbert S.C. (Vice Chair)
• English, J. Kalani
• Inouye, Lorraine R.
• Kanuha, Dru Mamo
• Kidani, Michelle N.
• Moriwaki, Sharon Y.
• Shimabukuro, Maile S. L.
• Taniguchi, Brian T.
• Wakai, Glenn
• Fevella, Kurt

** Senator Kaialiʻi Kahele was recently elected to represent the 2nd Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives. The process to fill his State Senate seat (as outlined in Hawaii Rev. Stat., §17-3) will begin immediately following his formal resignation.

Original source: https://mauinow.com/2020/11/05/senate-leadership-and-committee-assignments-for-31st-legislature/